Chapter 209 – What a Pity, It Was Such a Good Painting
How interesting. Jing Rong came in and sat on the same chair Shi Zijin was on previously. Similarly to her, he was taciturn and didn't disturb her.
Ji Yunshu also didn't want to be bothered with him. After she tidied her things on the table, she shelved her sandalwood box, and without turning back her head, she said, "You need not look so miserable. There is still a way – Go find the Emperor and asked him to grant you a marriage with Miss Kong. You can even say Empress Xuanshu said this and that before her death. Since the official edict has not been announced yet, the Emperor can still renege on his last decree." Her voice was level as if what she said had nothing to do with her. She did however guess what worried Jing Rong.
He barely listened to her and it already made him frowned. The hands on his thighs balled into fists, but he remained uncommunicative.
Ji Yunshu looked back with the corner of her lips raised. "Are you worried that this method is not feasible?"
He didn't respond.
'Are you mute? Stupid man!' Ji Yunshu didn't get angry with his silence. She walked to her desk and took out some paper which she neatly spread out. She continued, "If your Highness is reluctant about Miss Kong's marriage, why don't you lie that her chastity was lost. If the Emperor gets wind, he might allow you two to be a pair worthy of each other? Even if he was angry, he could only be angered since there's no way he can send a girl who has lost her chastity to marry to Qujiang. It may be akin to receiving multiple face slaps. I believe this is the best possible method."
"Hmph!"
Ji Yunshu felt that her mind was quite flexible to be able to think of such a method. Unfortunately, it was another story for Jing Rong as his face turned unsightly, reaching a new realm of anger.
'Is he thinking this plan is no good? To me it's flawless!’
She shrugged. "Forget it. If you don't believe this method is any good. I don't believe it can be undone." She then reached for a writing brush in a brush pot, wetting it with black ink.
She was about to draw something, but Jing Rong suddenly asked, "Do you want me to marry Kong Yu that much?" His tone was heavy.
Ji Yunshu paused. "You said that you only thought of her as your big sister, but you delayed her marriage for so many years. In the end, her marriage was pushed forward by the Emperor and she had to go to Qujiang. Although you have nothing to do with this matter, all causes stemmed from you. As a grown man, you should shoulder some responsibility. Besides, despite seeing her once, I can tell she is a great woman, and you both suit each other." She never looked at Jing Rong, focusing her sight on the paper as she drew.
Jing Rong narrowed his eyes, observing her. 'Is she really being serious when she says that?' He felt an indescribable heartache. He had to admit that Ji Yunshu was right.
If social media existed in the ancient times, his micro-blog would have crumbled under countless flaming comments of keyboard warriors. Their spit would be enough to drown him as they shout out: You wasted a young woman's time! You cause her to be sent to the faraway Qujiang! Damn slowpoke procrastinator stop being wishy-washy!
He deserved it.
He stood up. His mood hard to seize. He stared at the plum trees in the courtyard. "Fine! Tomorrow, I'll go tell my imperial father I will marry Kong Yu." He declared.
Ji Yunshu stilled. The tip of her brush slightly slanted, smearing the plum blossoms on the paper with a blotch of ink. By the time she raised her eyes, Jing Rong had stormed out. Even her tranquil mood was affected, a depressed feeling overcame her which couldn't be shaken away even after a long while.
Thud-
She only snapped out when her writing brush fell on the paper. She hurriedly picked up the brush. "Too bad, it was such a nice painting." She said with regret.
From that time until the hour of the rooster1 on the next day, Ji Yunshu didn't see a trace of Jing Rong. She only heard that after he left her room, he shut himself in his room, drinking the whole night, and even now he was still drunk.
Since this was something she overheard from the maidservants, she couldn't ascertain the truth of the matter because, besides Lang Po and Lu Jiang, everyone else was kept away from his courtyard since yesterday.
It was only at the hour of the rooster that Jing Rong reappeared again, back to his old self, outstanding and heroic, not a trace of last night's drunkenness could be seen.
He came over only to notify her. "Imperial Father had prepared a banquet tonight. The ministers and officials would be present. You are invited, go prepare."
"Huh?"
He quickly left without waiting for her response. Ji Yunshu wasn't stupid. She was aware that her words yesterday had made him sad and uncomfortable the whole night. How could she not understand his feelings?
On the way and all the while until the horse carriage entered the palace, both of them maintained a certain distance, not talking to each other. In the end, Ji Yunshu took the initiative to break the silence. "Your Highness, are you planning to ask Miss Kong Yu's hand in front of all before the Emperor's announcement?"
"Isn't that the only way? Besides, isn't that what you want?" His tone stayed neutral as he spoke with rhetorics.
Ji Yunshu balled her hands into fists under her sleeve. She couldn't retort and didn't feel like arguing with him. A heavy silence sank in.
This time, the banquet was held at Moon Gazing Terrace, which was a square building completely opened on one side, convenient for people to enter and exit. The other three sides were enclosed with low railings. The design inside incorporated around seven or eight similar pavilions next to each other, separated between them by curtains of muslin hung from the ceiling. A well-thought setting since the final result made it possible to retain the intimacy in each pavilion despite their proximity and open access in-between.
Ji Yunshu sat inside the leftmost pavilion, but when she turned back, there was no sight of Jing Rong. She inquired, "Where is his Highness?"
"Milord had a matter to attend. He had me look after you."
Her mind caught on his meaning. He must be using this time to find Kong Yu at Shaoxin hall. Fortunately, the banquet hadn't started yet. As soon as she raised her eyes, she, unfortunately, crossed eyes with the one who she shouldn't be looking at – Jing Yi.
He sat across her, a polite smile and a slight nod greeted her. Afterward, he got up and came to her.
Ji Yunshu was forced to get up and greeted him. "Paying my respect to Prince Yi."
"No need to be polite, Teacher Ji. Please sit!" Jing Yi wasn't reluctant to approach her. He directly sat in the pavilion that was prepared for Jing Rong, and looked at his surroundings.
"Have you seen Prince Rong?"
Lang Po replied, "His Highness will arrive in a moment."
"Really! Teacher Ji is already here. How can he be late?" He said with a smile plastered on his face. His features were handsome, an undeniable fact, but his black heart and viciousness made him repulsive. His sight switched to Ji Yunshu. "I still haven't congratulated you for solving the missing girls case. This Prince heard you were injured several times in order to investigate this case."
"It's only a small injury."
"You have to take care of your safety. You can't throw away your life just to solve a case. The investigation for the Lin Capital case still hasn't started; It will be a pity if your final send-off has to be given."
From his tone, it seemed as if he wanted Ji Yunshu to die soon. He was even more infuriated from failing twice to kill her.
Grenn’s Rants Corner
Ji Yunshu so insensitive at sometimes.
Hour of the rooster = 5-7pm ↩
Chapter 210 – Introduction
Unedited
There was a saying that, in the world, there will always be people better than oneself; A another sky beyond the sky.
Learning from this kind of people is a wealth in its own. For example, by following Jing Rong, Ji Yunshu had learned many tricks for interacting with the ancients, but there was still a vast ocean of knowledge still untapped.
She clasped her hands, saluting him. "Many thanks for your highness' concern. If Prince Yi didn't pay so much attention on people, you won't be misled into misjudging the case so easily."
"Ugh!"
This was hinting at his previous failure when he arrested Gan Chuliang and made a joke out of himself. Her words were like a stab of a knife, thrusting abruptly, leaving him with no time to parry. His ego bled; he revealed inadvertently an awkward smile.
"Your Highness is too eager to solve the case. It shows how much you care about the common people which is a blessing for the populace."
She was the kind of woman that could lie without twitching. There was even a time when people asked her if she got plastic surgery. To which she responded, 'I'm all natural, no Botox injection! If you don't believe me, you can check for yourself.' She doesn't change her expression or have her heart accelerated when she lied like this.
Yet, Jing Yi knew her fawning words weren't sincere, but he still humored her, showing an elated countenance. In fact, they both already see through each other thoughts, but they continued to pretend otherwise.
Ji Yunshu knew Jing Yi hired assassins to eliminated Jing Rong and her. She even knew that he had cooperated with Yan Weiyi to kill Jing Rong to prevent them from investigating further the Lin Capital case. She didn't delude herself that her background stayed as a secret. He knew she was a woman, and it was a fact she couldn't deny because it corroborated too well with the trap Concubine Xiao set up for her at the matchmaking banquet.
Since Jing Yi knew everything about her, their current problem was to see who can act better than the other, and no one lost to the other.
Jing Yi brushed his sleeve before changing the subject. "What do you think about the marriage between Qujiang and Great Lin?"
"Is your Highness asking for my opinion?"
"Yes. This Prince is very curious about your thoughts."
"This humble one is but a commoner. How can I have any thoughts on such an important matter?" She was disinclined to engage into that conversation.
Jing Yi didn't force her to answer, shifting his eyes to another place in the Moon Gazing Terrace. His eyebrows slightly rose. "Oh! Secretary Ji and General Ji had come." He deliberately raised his voice.
'What?' Ji Yunshu immediately looked in the same direction and saw Ji Li and Ji Huan coming in, dressed in civil clothes, with one in front and the other behind. Her heart tensed and she buried her head down.
Jing Yi caught sight of her reaction and gloated inwardly. However, he showed an appraising expression. "Last time when you went into the palace, Secretary Ji and General Ji were absent. How about I introduce you to them? If Teacher Ji wants to investigate the Lin Capital case later, you might need their help, creating connections with them now will be a good idea."
Ji Yunshu repressed with great difficulty the rising panic. She lowered her eyes. "I do not want to trouble your Highness."
"Not at all. The banquet would only start in two hours."
"N-"
Lang Po promptly interrupted her. "Prince Yi, Prince Rong had appropriately arranged for their meetings."
Bam!
Jing Yi hit the table. His voice remained low, but the look in his eyes greatly changed. Lang Po’s retort displeased him. "Can it be that this Prince needs Prince Rong's approval before introducing Teacher Ji to two persons?"
"Nothing as such, your Highness."
"Then, quietly stand there." His words laden with the tone of authority.
Lang Po glanced at Ji Yunshu. His lord wasn't present, so who could protect her? His heart was filled with anxiety.
Meanwhile, Jing Yi had already given his orders to a servant. "Go invite Secretary Ji and General Ji here. This Prince wants to introduce someone to them."
"Yes!" The servant complied and went to notify the Ji brothers.
Ji Yunshu's hands were covered in sweat, caught off guard, and unable to think about a way to conceal her identity. Unfortunately, she had no choice but to confront the situation, both her hands fiddling nervously.
Soon, she heard their voices coming from behind her.
"We have seen Prince Yi."
Jing Yi motioned at them. "Please take a seat. No need to be polite."
"Yes, your Highness!" They were men who had fought on the battlefield, so their voices were loud and clear, far from being timid.
When they sat down, they finally noticed Ji Yunshu who had her head lowered. Ji Li looked at her, his pupils constricted from surprise. Ji Huan was more of a muscle-head, thus his reaction was less subtle. As soon as he caught sight of her, he abruptly stood up but was immediately pulled back by Ji Li. If it wasn't for his older brother, he might have already strangled her to death. He swatted his brother's hand in anger, sat back and glared at Ji Yunshu with a grim expression. Ji Yunshu had no doubt they already recognized her.
Jing Yi spectacled on their expressions, and he was filled with satisfaction. "I believe you might have heard of the capital's new rising talent, Teacher Ji."
Ji Li kept his calm and responded, "Of course. I heard Teacher Ji has just arrived at the capital, but he has already solved many odd cases, a feat which deserved great admiration. However, I didn't expect I would have the chance to him today."
Jing Yi gave Ji Yunshu an introduction. "These men are our Great Lin's most important figures. Teacher Ji has to understand that being friends with them is never a wrong choice."
"Yes, many thanks to Prince Yi for introducing me." Ji Yunshu did her best to keep her tone level and neutral. Then, she immediately leaned towards her brothers. "I have heard of your fame. If there is a chance, let's meet again and please take care of me in the future."
"Teacher Ji is too courteous." Ji Li put on a fake smile. He pressed on his glabella and asked, "I wonder where did you live before coming to the capital?"
"The world is my home."
"Ah? Are you someone from Jinjiang?"
"No." She replied smoothly. They put their fingers in their eyes if they thought she would say yes.
Ji Li deliberately said, "Teacher Ji, you look very similar to someone we know."
"There many people in this world who look similar."
"You are quite right."
There was a smell of gunpowder between them. The stage was set for their play, all four of them had acting skills which could rival a great movie star.
Soon, a few more people joined in and the conversation deviated to other topics. Ji Yunshu avoided speaking as much as possible, preferring to listen instead.
Jing Yi got up and left satisfied after he felt he reached his purpose with Ji Yunshu. Ji Li and Ji Huan no longer had any reason to stay, promptly leaving after Jing Yi. After they left, Ji Yunshu let out a sigh of relief. Since they were still in the palace, her brothers would do nothing to her.
The problem was when they leave the palace. Would she be hacked by his sword? The thought was terrifying. She still wanted to live, regardless.
On the Ji brothers' side.
"Big Brother, why did you stop me? Yunshu was there!"
Ji Li calmed his brother. "That person didn't clearly confirm her identity. Not to mention that mask… How can you be certain it was her? We have to find out the truth before making a move. Don't forget this is the palace. Even if you want to kill her, you can't do so here."
It was said that a valiant general is often a typical muscle-headed, which was not far from wrong. Yet, despite his penchant for straightforward physical actions, his IQ didn't fall into the simple-minded category. "Big Brother, do you think that Prince Yi is doing it on purpose? Amongst all the guests he could introduce, he decided to introduce us."
"Regardless of his intention, you have to remember that Wanxin is the future crown prince's consort. We have to stand on the crown prince's side."
"I know!"
Finally, they sat down in their pavilion.
Grenn’s Rants Corner
I find the Ji brothers quite interesting.